Fought, Loved, Lost, Hoped
by IllusiveSoul
Summary: Commander Shepard finds herself lost and alone in a post-Reaper Earth. With her friends and loved one, Liara T'Soni, missing after the Battle of London, Katerina Shepard recalls her life and hopes that she'll see them again as she tries to survive the new threats and old hatreds that surface throughout the Galaxy.
1. Chapter 1

_A girl sat on the porch of a house. Winter had already arrived, and snow fell around and over her, leaving white traces on her long, red hair when the snowflakes fell on it. Her emerald green eyes were focused on the heavens, and on the infinite number of stars that were visible throughout the night sky._

 _She heard as the door of the house behind her opened, and the sound of a mechanical wheelchair broke the silence of the night. The machine and the man operating it stopped next to her._

 _"Trying to freeze yourself to death, kid ?" the man said while he covered himself with a jacket, "There are easier ways to get yourself killed if that's what you're looking for"_

 _She grabbed her knees with both hands and spoke "This little winter is what you call cold ? You're getting soft and old, J"_

 _"When your face and fingers start to get blue, we'll see who's soft and old"_

 _"You wouldn't let that happen. The doctor in you would never leave a poor innocent person to freeze" she replied with a smirk look on her face._

 _"Oh, you know me so well, kid"_

 _After a few minutes in silence, the man started to head towards the door of the house. "Well, it's getting late, kid. See you tomorrow"_

 _As he opened it, the girl spoke._

 _"J ?"_

 _"Yes ?"_

 _"Is life better up there ?"_

 _" Up there where kid ?"_

 _She lifted her hand and pointed upwards " Up there in the stars"_

 _"You've asked me the same question for the past 6 years"_

 _"I know. What can I say ? I liked the answer you gave me the first time"_

 _The man stood in silence for a few moments before answering. He looked at the stars, the stars that he himself had visited many years ago, until he finally spoke, giving her the same answer that he had given her year after year._

 _"Up there is almost the same as down here kid. There are good and bad things, good and bad people, saints and sinners, angels and monsters. You are as likely to find a friend as you are to find someone who wants to kill you. In the end, the choices that you make and the actions that you take will determine on which group you will end and what kind of life you'll lead"_

 _A satisfied smile crossed her face "Thanks. I guess I needed to hear that one more time"_

 _Jonathan turned the wheelchair around to face her and asked: "So, I guess this comes because you're really thinking of doing it , aren't you ? You're truly planning on joining the Alliance ?"_

 _"It's the only thing I can do" she replied in a firm and decisive tone. "I have no future down here. With the Alliance I'll have food, a bed and a roof. Plus, I'll be able to visit the Galaxy for free"_

 _"Somehow I knew you would say that. Ever since I've met you that's the only thing that I pictured you doing with your life"_

 _Surprised, she replied "You did ? Seriously ? I've always thought that you expected me to stay down here for the rest of my life, until I got killed or I overdosed on something"_

 _"Kate, you're no deadbeat junkie, you know it and I know it too" Jonathan said in a reassuring tone "You have aspirations, you actually want to do something with your life" He took a drink from the small flask that he had in his pocket before he continued. "I still remember how your eyes lit up when I told you stories about the adventures of heroes like Grissom and others. I remember when we stayed for hours in the spaceport just because you wanted…"_

 _"To see the spaceships coming and going" she interrupted him as she fondly remembered those trips they took when she was younger._

 _"Exactly. You always had a thing for space, whether you realized it or not. And you're experiences here on Earth haven't been very positive exactly, so..."_

 _"So you figured that I would take the first chance I got to leave this rock"_

 _"Yes. Wasn't really that hard to figure out"_

 _"Hmm. Maybe you're not as dumb as you look, old man" Shepard replied in a sarcastic tone._

 _"I don't know about that. I've been taking care of you for the past 6 years, haven't I ? I think that's a pretty dumb thing to do"_

 _"I can take care of myself"_

 _"Remember how you were when I met you ? I don't doubt that you can defend yourself, but you still come back here every night, don't you ? Looks like you prefer a roof and warm food to a cardboard box below a highway, or am I wrong ?" Jonathan said in accusatory tone._

 _"Sometimes you can be a real asshole J"_

 _"We've got that in common, kid" The man replied as he laughed. "So, what's your next move?"_

 _"Well, basically all I'll need is to get an ID. No way I'm showing up to the Alliance Office to register as Jane Doe. So for now, that's what I'll focus on. After I get hold of an ID, well, only time will tell"_

 _"Getting a fake ID through the Alliance will be pretty hard. They make the best scanners on the planet, you know ?"_

 _"I'm fully aware of that, but I'll find a way, no matter what it takes. I'll bust my ass to find one that's real enough to get me through. This is my future we're talking about, and I'm not going to lose it because of small shit like a fucking ID"_

 _Jonathan smiled, and after a few moments he pulled out a small envelope from one of the pockets in his jacket "That's what I wanted to hear. Happy Birthday, kid"_

 _Shepard checked the exterior of the envelope while staring at Jonathan with a raised eyebrow "What the hell is this, J ? A Happy Birthday Card is all that you can afford with the Alliance Veteran Salary ?_

 _"Stop being a smartass for a second and open the goddamn envelope, kid" he said in an annoyed tone._

 _"Alright, fine. Don't get so salty about it"_

 _She tore apart the side of the envelope to see its content. The disappointment in her face was impossible to conceal as she turned around to face Jonathan. "This is just a paper with a code, J. Is this your idea of a prank, old man ?_

 _"Put the code in your omnitool, dumbass"_

 _She inserted the code into her Kassa manufactured omnitool and waited. Suddenly, an image projected itself out of the device, and she couldn't believe what her eyes, which started to fill with tears of joy, were seeing ahead of her. The picture that came from the omnitool showed a citizenship ID for the United North American States._

 _ **Name: Shepard, Kate.**_

 _ **Date of Birth: October 28th, 2153.**_

 _ **Age: 18.**_

 _"Holy Shit", Kate said while she continued to stare dumbfounded into the image ahead of her. After a couple minutes, she turned and embraced Jonathan in a tight hug "I can't thank you enough, J"_

 _"Don't mention it kid"_

 _"How the hell did you do this ?" The shock and surprise were evident as the words left her mouth._

 _"Called some old friends In the Alliance who owed me some favors. They work directly with the Information Registry Department, so for all intents and purposes this ID is just the same as a real one"_

 _"But, you know I'm really not 18, right ?"_

 _"And I know your real name isn't Kate Shepard either. You're 17, that's close enough. And the only ones who know those facts are you and me, so I suggest that we both keep our mouths shut about them"_

 _"Sounds like a plan"_

 _She stood next to him for several minutes, contemplating the opportunities that now lay ahead of her, and trying to imagine what awaited for her in the future. "I'll find out soon enough" she thought._

 _Before she could speak again, Jonathan did. "The Registration Office opens in a few hours, and if everything goes right, you should be a fully registered Alliance soldier and they'll be taking you to some place around the globe to train. So, take a shower and get some shut eye. It might be the last chance you get to do it for a long time"_

 _Shepard stood in silence for several moments, before speaking again. "How I'm supposed to repay you for this, J?"_

 _He placed his hand in her shoulder, and staring directly at her eyes, he replied in a firm and reassuring tone: "I'll only ask one thing of you. Promise me that you'll do some good out there. The galaxy can be a very dark place, so do what you can to make it a little brighter for everyone"_

 _" I will Jonathan. I promise you I will"_

 _"Don't waste this chance. Make me proud, kid"_

Shepard woke up. Her eyes looked at the clouds that roamed the sky above her. She quickly wiped the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and started to pull her legs out of the sleeping bag. "You can only fight sleep for so long before your body gives up. I know that better than anyone", she thought as she stretched and contemplated as the sun started to rise on the horizon, sending the night away to the other side of the world. She cleaned the rocks and dirt from her sleeping bag before rolling it and sealing it inside a plastic bag.

The phrases from her dream, phrases the she had heard and said 16 years ago, still resonated in her mind, as echoes from the past that refused to fade away.

 _"Is life better up there ?"_

 _"Saints and sinners. Angels and monsters"_

 _"Make some good out there"_

 _"Make me proud, kid"_

 _"I promise you I will"_

The last phrase was the one that struck her the most. "I promise you I will".

"You didn't quite kept that promise, did you now? Not the first promise you broke, and it certainly wasn't the last" Shepard said. "How many promises have I made and fail to kept, I wonder ?" "Dozens ? Hundreds ? Thousands "

 _"All of them, actually_ ". Ain't that the truth"

She remembered some of the promises she had made during her life, as they drifted through her mind over and over.

"I'll get you home safe. _I promise_ "

"I'll pull you out of there. _I promise_ "

"You'll see your family again. _I promise_ "

"I'll get Kaidan, and then I'm coming back for you Ash. _I promise_ "

"I won't let your people die. _I promise_ "

"Marriage, old age and a lot of little blue children" "Everyday after" "I'm always coming back". " _I promise_ "

Liara

Of all the promises that Shepard had made during her life, the ones that she had made to Liara T'Soni hurt the most.

Because she knew she wouldn't keep them from the moment she uttered those words. Not because she didn't want to, because she did. _"God, I wanted it more than anything else in the Galaxy_ " she said in her thoughts. No, it was because she was promising herself and Liara a future.

A future.

A future that she knew she wouldn't be around to be a part of. Because she didn't see herself surviving the Reaper War.

And yet she made the promises. Because she wanted to believe.

"And look at me now. Alive and kicking, and Liara and everyone else are either lost throughout the Galaxy or…"

 _Dead._ She couldn't bring herself to say the word out loud. She couldn't put Liara and Dead in the same sentence.

In an anguished tone, Shepard said: "I shouldn't have promised anything to her, or to anyone else for that matter".

As she began to sob and with a broken voice, the 4 words that she had said to herself countless times left her mouth once more "I miss you, Liara"

Several minutes later, minutes spent with her face buried in her hands, a chilling breeze made her lift her head as the morning cold swept through her body. She opened her tattered backpack to find some more clothing to cover herself with. While she pulled out the remnants of a scarf from one of the pockets, a book came out with it. She rolled her scarf around her neck and picked up the large and big book that had fallen to the ground. She didn't remember when she had picked it up, or from where, but that didn't really matter now. As she opened it and scrolled through it, she was surprised with what she saw.

 _Empty. Completely empty._

All the pages were completely blank, but the feeling of the paper made her feel strangely relaxed. She remembered the collection of books that she had kept on both the SR-1 and the SR-2. She remembered one of the conversations that she had with Liara about them.

 _"Wouldn't it be simpler to store this information in digital format, Katerina ? I'm sure that even the simplest of datapads is more than capable of holding the information most of these books carry, and it would allow you to use the physical space here in your cabin more efficiently"_

 _"I know, but I've never been a huge fan of reading stuff virtually. It's weird, I know, especially during these times, but there's something special about them. Feeling a book in my hands and sensing the smell of their pages somehow makes me feel… happy, alive ? I really don't know how to describe it"_

 _"I think I understand. It is more a habit than a necessity, then?"_

 _"Yeah, something like that"_

 _"I probably feel the same way when I'm studying ancient scripts"_

 _As she continued to check the dozens of books that filled Kate's shelves, Liara spoke with a curious tone: "So, what are you planning to do with them once all this is over ?"_

 _Shepard smiled, and in a swift move she grabbed and held Liara tightly from behind, and after giving her a quick kiss on the neck, she said: "I'm planning to take them to wherever you and I go to settle down after this damn war. And I'm planning to read them to you every night, and then…" she spun Liara around and rested her forehead against hers "we're going to read them to our daughters, every night until they decide that we're a pain in the ass and they tell us to stop"_

 _"Every night? That sounds like a big commitment Commander"_

 _"Every night after. I promise"_

 _With a smile on her face, Liara replied "I'd like that, Katerina. I'd like that very much" and then gave Shepard a deep and long kiss._

Kate opened her eyes and felt the smile that had formed on her mouth. "Losing myself in memories, again". Shepard thought as she toyed with the book in her hands. _"Who can blame me for losing myself in memories, when these memories are all that I have left of you. There was never enough time for the 2 of us, there was always something keeping us from being fully together"_

"And now, I have all the time in the world, but I don't have you"

Looking at the book, Shepard said: "Maybe I'll write something here. At least I'll try"

 _Hey Liara_

 _You know writing has never really been my thing. First, because I didn't had the time, and second, because as you once said to me "You're a woman of action who sometimes remembers that she can use words as well"._

 _Well, here I am, trying to use words, trying to keep myself sane in an insane world by saving my thoughts in this book._

 _Everything is not going to be written here. A few months ago I had to make a choice, a choice that affected the lives of every living being in the Galaxy, and the things I've seen since then here on Earth have made me question, more than once, if I made the right one. I promise that when we met I'll tell you the whole story._

 _I must keep believing that we'll meet again. Otherwise, what was the point in all I did and everything I'm going to do ?_

 _I hope that you'll read this someday._

 _I love you._

 _Katerina Shepard._


	2. New Opportunities

_**June 20th, 2187**_

 _ **7 Months after the end of the War**_

 _Hey Li_

 _I'm in a country called Armenia, here on Earth._

 _I'm in this ancient Monastery called Khor Virap. It's pretty old and it has a nice view of the surrounding mountains._

 _I would have probably bored telling you the history of the region, and you would have probably bored me by talking about the estimated age of the ruins and how an ancient culture managed to built it._

 _We both would have been happily bored with each other._

 _I'll probably stay here for a few days before moving on._

 _On a different note, I managed to move the small finger of my left hand yesterday. The hand and the rest of the arm are still a mess (Karin would give me hell if she saw it) but the finger moved and it didn't hurt. I hope that's a sign that it's at least partially recovering._

 _Anyway, here's a quick rundown of how I became part of the Normandy's crew. And how that would eventually lead to me becoming a part of your life._

 _Take care_

 _Katerina Shepard_

 **New Opportunities**

 **July 17th, 2183**

 **Citadel**

Katerina Shepard (or, as she was more commonly known, "Kate" or "Katy", due to the fact that very few people knew her real name, and even less used it) stood by the railing of an Alliance port on the Citadel. She watched as technicians and machines loaded equipment and made sure that the dozens of vessels that were currently docked were fully functional and ready for whatever they might find on their travels through the Traverse and the edges of the Terminus Systems.

Her eyes quickly located the ship that was meant to be her new home for the next couple of months: the SSV Jakarta. Shepard knew little about the ship or the crew besides the fact that the Captain of the Frigate had asked for her to be made a part of his crew, and the Alliance High Command had been happy to reassign her. It was good for the reputation of a Captain to say that the "Hero of Elysium" had been a member of his or her crew.

"Do a good job and you'll be able to pick a Commander Shepard for your ship" she said to herself in an irritated tone. She checked her bag to make sure that she had everything she needed, and after contemplating the view for a few moments she started to walk towards the airlock of the cruiser. She hadn't taken more than a few steps when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Shepard, I was looking for you" She turned around and quickly saluted the man who had been her friend and mentor throughout most of her career in the Alliance, David Anderson.

"Captain Anderson, sir!" she said in a strong tone.

"Knock off that bullshit with me, Kate. You keep this formal crap up and I'm going to start calling you Lieutenant Commander Katerina Shepard every time I see you. Would you like that ? "

"Not at all" she rested her hand and gave a quick hug to Anderson. "It's good to see you, David"

"You too, Kate"

After ending the hug, Shepard asked "What are you doing here in the Citadel ? I thought that you were staying at Arcturus"

"I was, until yesterday. I came by to pick up some friends for a "special project". Speaking of which, can we sit down for a minute? I have a proposition for you"

"Sure thing, David"

They walked to one of the many coffee shops that were near the docks and sat down.

"Before I start, you want some coffee ?"

"Sure. A little caffeine always does good to the body and the spirit"

After getting her cup, Kate sipped it and, with a disgusted look on her face, said "It's more of that artificial "coffee". It tastes like plastic. God, what I wouldn't do for a cup of real, natural Colombian coffee"

"We have to made do with what we have. And quality, real coffee isn't a priority for the Alliance Supplies Department"

"I don't know what qualifies as priority for them. 90% of what I eat and drink in the Alliance tastes like plastic" Shepard replied while she drank the contents of the cup in one swoop.

"At least it keeps or bellies full"

"Can't argue with that"

After both cups had been emptied, Anderson picked up his datapad and started to read it. "So, Shepard, tell me, what are your plans for this new tour"

With a smile on her face, Kate spoke in a joyous tone "I plan to spend the next 2 months sniping batarians, mercs, slavers, and pirates. Maybe the Alliance High Command will call me to do some Black Ops stuff. So, you know, the same stuff that I do in every tour. Nothing out of the ordinary"

"Would you be interested in doing something out of the ordinary?" Anderson replied.

"Like what ?"

Anderson placed the datapad down and looked directly at Kate. "For the past 6 months, I have been working at a special project at Arcturus. It's something that is being jointly developed with the Turians..."

"The Turians ? As far as I know, the Turians hated our guts. You should know that better than anyone" Shepard said, alluding to Anderson's experiences during the First Contact War.

"Relations are pretty cold but the Turians have a great deal of respect for us. Our performance during the war left them impressed. They say that they see our "potential" as a species. That's why the Hierarchy and the Alliance have been working on several secret projects together. The one I'm about to show you it's probably the most important of them all"

Anderson then handed the datapad to Kate. The phrase on top of the screen read "Project Nightwatch". The image showed what Shepard thought was a frigate, but of a design that was unknown to her, which was odd since she knew all the models of the vessels of the Systems Alliance.

"It looks like a frigate, but I don't recognize the model"

"That's because this a prototype. A top of the line frigate that incorporates the best of Turian and Human engineering, and it's specifically designed to serve as a recon unit that will be able to operate deep inside an enemy system without being detected. It's called 'Normandy' " Anderson replied while he paid for the drinks from his omnitool.

"It's impressive. It's design is elegant and beautiful. Guess this is what we'll use when invade the Kite's Nest, huh ?" she replied as she set down the datapad over the table.

"You're one of the few persons I know who is looking forward to a war with the Batarians" he replied with a disapproving tone.

"I've been killing batarians for 11 years. We should just duke it out with the Hegemony and end them for good"

"That won't happen during my lifetime, and hopefully it won't during yours either. But, back to why I brought you here. I know you're meant to be deployed to the Jakarta, but, would you be interested in joining the crew of…"

"Yes !" she interrupted him. "You don't have to ask me twice"

"Good. Grab your things. We leave for Arcturus in a hour"

"And what about the Captain that asked for me to be in his cruiser ? He's gonna be pissed"

"That's one thing you're really good at. Pissing off people, especially if they outrank you" He looked towards the cruiser and continued "I know the man, so don't worry about him. When he asks I'll tell him that you're doing some "Black Op Stuff" for me. That should shut him up"

"Well, that's good. As long as I don't have to explain myself to him, I'm happy"

"Shall we go now, Lieutenant Commander Shepard, XO of the SSV Normandy?" David said as he pointed his arm towards the exit point of the docks.

"After you, Captain Anderson of the SSV Normandy"

* * *

 **3 Hours Later**

 **Arcturus Station**

"Holy shit, David" Shepard exclaimed surprised "It was one thing to look at the pictures, but seeing it in person is a whole other thing. The ship is… is…"

"Magnificent" Anderson interrupted her as they both stared at the Normandy in dock.

"Yeah. I was gonna say that it was a fucking piece of art, but magnificent works too"

After a few moments, Anderson grabbed her shoulder and said "Come on, I want you to meet the crew".

"I'm already preparing myself for the "Hero of Elysium" attitude that the entire crew is going to take with me"

"I know it's hard for you, but just be nice and friendly. You know, like you are most of the time"

Shepard started laughing, and after a few moments, she finally said "Sure thing David. Nice and Friendly. Got it"

As they entered the frigate, she was in awe as she contemplated the size and design of the interior of the ship. Anderson turned to the left and pointed towards the man sitting in the pilot's chair.

"Shepard, this is the Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau. Flight Lieutenant, Commander Shepard"

The man struggled for a few moments before he finally stood up and saluted the Commander. "Jeff Moreau, reporting for duty, ma'am"

"At ease, Lieutenant" Shepard said in a friendly tone.

"I'll leave you 2 to get to know yourselves. You need anything else, I'll be in the mess"

"Understood, sir" As Anderson left, the conversation between Shepard and the pilot resumed.

"So, Flight Lieutenant Moreau…"

"Please, call me Joker, ma'am" he interrupted her "I must say, it's an honor to be serving with you, ma'am. The "Savior of Elysium", the "Hero of the Blitz"…"

 _"Oh boy, here we go"_ she thought as the Lieutenant continued to speak. After several moments, the Lieutenant finished praising the Commander, which allowed her to finally ask him some questions.

"So Joker, how did you ended piloting the Normandy ?"

The man blushed as he tried to avoid the question "It's kind of a long story, so…"

"Give me the short version then"

"Ok. So a few days ago, they were doing the first flight test of the Normandy here in Arcturus, and I, uh… let's just say that I decided to do that test without the authorization of the Alliance brass" *1

"You stole the ship !?" Shepard exclaimed in a loud tone.

"I didn't 'steal it'. I merely performed the test that they had designed for the ship… while an Alliance fighter patrol tried to shoot me down"

"What !?"

"So, yeah, I completed the test and returned the Normandy to dock in one piece. The Alliance was ready to court martial me and lock me up for the rest of my life, but the Turian General who was overseeing the test was impressed by my performance and said that I should be the pilot. The Alliance had already embarrassed itself enough and they didn't want to "disagree" with the General, and Captain Anderson agreed with the Turian, so that's why I'm here"

Shepard stood in silence for several moments, trying to process what she had just been told. She finally said "I think you're just the person I want piloting this ship, Joker"

Calming himself, he let out a relaxed gasp "Thank you, ma'am"

"But please, don't pull any stunts like that while I'm aboard, please"

"I'll try to control myself, ma'am"

After several minutes of introducing herself to the rest of the crew, she ran into Navigator Charles Pressly, a fellow veteran of the Blitz, who was also quick to praise her for her actions in Elysium. "If anything, I should be thanking you, Pressly. The SSV Agincourt saved my life by showing up when it did"

 _"Too late to save everyone else. Too soon to let me die with them"_. The thought briefly crossed Shepard's mind before she shook it off and continued her conversation with Pressly.

As she moved down the stairs, she froze for a moment when she saw a heavily armored Turian moving in her direction.

"Commander Shepard, it's good to see you"

"And who might you be ?" she asked.

"My name is Nihlus Kryk. I'm the Spectre sent by the Council to oversee the Normandy's shakedown run"

What the hell is a Spectre doing here ? Katerina thought before answering "This is my first time meeting a Spectre. I'm honored" she said as she shook his hand.

"I have heard many great things about you, Shepard. Hopefully you'll live up to my expectations" he said as he continued towards the bridge, leaving her alone in the stairs.

"I'll try, I guess" she said as she tried to understand what had just happened. After a couple of moments, she continued her tour of the ship.

After meeting with Chief Engineer Adams in the Engineering deck, she came up to the Second Deck. As she introduced herself to the crew, she heard Anderson's voice calling out to her.

"Shepard, over here"

"What is it, sir ?"

"Apparently there are some old friends of yours here who want to see you. They're at the infirmary. Come with me"

As they started to head towards the infirmary, Shepard wondered who might be there. "Old friends ? I dont have many old friends. Who could possibly be…"

As the door opened, there where 3 persons inside. Kate didn't knew who the young soldier on the bed was, but she immediately recognized the doctor and the man standing next to her. "Dr Chakwas! Kaidan!" she said in an excited tone.

"Good to see you again, Katerina" the Lieutenant said as he shook Shepard's hands.

"You too Kaidan. You look good. How's your implant doing these days ?"

"Same as always, really. Migraines are not that severe anymore thanks to some therapy I've been doing and the meds"

"Good to hear" she said as she let go of his hand and turned to face the Doctor. "I've got to say, if I'm going to have a doctor who's going to be constantly bugging me about my injuries, then I'm glad is you, Karin" Shepard said as she gave the doctor a tight hug.

"I assure you, Commander, that bugging you is going to be my number one priority during this tour. The crew and the Alliance need you in top fighting shape, and I'll make sure that you are" she said as she pointed towards the medical straps on the sides of the bed "... even if I have to strap you to the bed because you can be more stubborn than a mule"

"I'm not stubborn, Karin. I just know when I'm fit for duty faster than you do"

She then turned to the soldier on the bed and asked "And who might you be, young man ?"

"Jenkins, ma'am. Corporal Richard Jenkins" he said nervously as he quickly rose to his feet and snapped a salute in her direction.

"At ease, Corporal" Shepard then noticed the medical patch that the corporal had on his neck and asked "What happened to you, Jenkins ?"

"Well, I uh… I said that Lieutenant Alenko's biotics weren't as strong as he claimed and I told him that if he could throw me from one end of the deck to the other, I would give him 200 credits"

"Happy to say that those 200 credits are happily resting on my virtual account" Alenko said as he flashed his omnitool towards Jenkins.

"He's lucky he just lightly injured his neck. I was afraid that he had broken his back, but then he stood up and yelled "THAT WAS AWESOME" Dr Chakwas spoke while she gave Jenkins a disapproving look.

"So, Shepard, from where did you know Alenko and Dr Chakwas ?" Anderson spoke as he rested against one of the machines in the room.

"I met Kaidan almost 5 years ago. He was giving one of those conferences about Biotic Tolerance and Understanding conferences that the we had to take as part of the education programs. We've been good friends since then" She then turned and faced Karin "As for the Doctor, she was the one who fixed me up and helped me with the therapy programs after…" she paused for a few moments before continuing "... after the Blitz"

Jenkins excitedly spoke to the Commander "I was in Eden Prime with my family when the attack happened. We remember seeing on TV as they rescued you. We saw the dozens of dead pirates and slavers that lay dead all around you. Your actions that day where what pushed me to join the Alliance, ma'am. I said to myself "I want to be a savior, a role model and a hero, just like Commander Shepard"

 _"Savior, Role Model, Hero. I'm none of those things"_ Memories from Elysium quickly flashed in Shepard's mind, and she struggled to hide the emotions that she was feeling.

Knowing that the topic of Elysium was very sensitive to Shepard, Anderson prevented Jenkins from dwelling on it by saying "Speaking of Eden Prime, that's where were taking the Normandy for her shakedown run. So everyone, get ready and report to your stations. We leave in 15 minutes" Anderson then turned and left towards his cabin.

"Yes, sir" was heard in unison after the Captain spoke.

"Well, I better get to it. See you around, Kate. Doctor, Jenkins" Kaidan said as he quickly left towards the cockpit.

After spending a few moments saying goodbye to Karin, Shepard headed towards the bridge with Jenkins. "Why do you think we're heading to Eden Prime, ma'am ? Nothing ever happens there, and I'm itching for some real action" Jenkins exclaimed, the eagerness evident on his voice.

"Maybe that's why we're going there, because there's no risk of danger for the ship or the crew. Don't go looking for fights, Corporal. Let them find you and be ready to face them when they do"

"I understand, ma'am. It's just that I want a chance to prove myself, you know ?"

"All in due time, Corporal. On the bright side, you'll probably get to show to your family that you were handpicked by Captain Anderson to be part of this ultra advanced project of the Alliance. That's got to count for something, right ?"

"Yeah, you're right ma'am. I'll be able to tell my family that I served in missions with the great Commander Shepard. Maybe we'll see my family when we're there. That way they'll believe me"

"Hell, I'll give you my picture and autograph if it'll make them happy. You've got a long road ahead of you, Jenkins. You'll have your fair share of chances to make your people proud"

"Thank you, ma'am. I'm just worried that..."

 _"Hitting the relay in 30 Seconds. ETA to Eden Prime: 10 minutes"_ Joker's voice came over the intercom, interrupting the Corporal before he could finish.

As they reached the bridge, Shepard turned and patted the Corporal in the back "Everything's going to be fine, Jenkins, I promise"

 _Everything's going to be fine._

 _I promise._


End file.
